Using e-portfolios for engaging,
self-directed learning
School of Creative Arts and Humanities
Charles Darwin University
December 2008
flexiblelearning.net.au
Using e-portfolios for engaging, self-directed learning
Acknowledgment
This report was produced by:
Bill Wade – Lecturer (Multimedia), School of Creative Arts and Humanities, Faculty of
Law, Business and Arts
Trevor Billany – Educational Developer, Teaching and Learning Quality Group,
Educational Development Unit
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth of Australia.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2009. Licensed under AEShareNet Share and Return licence.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced
without prior written permission. However, permission is given to trainers and teachers to make copies by
photocopying or other duplicating processes for use within their own training organisation or in a workplace where the
training is being conducted. This permission does not extend to the making of copies for use outside the immediate
training environment for which they are made, nor the making of copies for hire or resale to third parties. Requests
and inquiries concerning other reproduction and rights should be directed in the first instance to the Director, ICT
Policy Section, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, GPO Box 9880, Canberra, ACT,
2601.
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Table of contents
Executive summary.............................................................................................................. 1
Findings and recommendations ....................................................................................... 1
Hard support – technical ............................................................................................... 1
Soft support – learner and staff needs........................................................................ 2
Research findings ................................................................................................................ 3
Qualitative comments from trial participants (learners) ................................................ 4
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 6
Bibliography........................................................................................................................... 6
Appendix A: Literature review .......................................................................................... 7
Appendix B: Charles Darwin University needs ............................................................ 8
Appendix C: Relevant links................................................................................................ 9
Appendix D: Mobilizethis 2008........................................................................................ 10
Appendix E: Polling attitudes towards e-portfolios (e-portfolio session) .......... 12
Appendix F: Polling attitudes towards e-portfolios (Roundtable session) ........ 14
Appendix G: CDU’s e-portfolio learner guide ............................................................. 15
Appendix H: CDU e-portfolios presentation slides ................................................... 36
For more information......................................................................................................... 38
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Executive summary
In 2008, the national training system’s e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible
Learning Framework (Framework1), provided funding and support to registered
training organisations (RTOs) to trial emerging technologies that may have wider
applications in the national training system.
Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) Using e-portfolios for engaging, self-directed
learning project was one of four projects selected for the emerging technology trials,
funded under the Framework’s E-standards for Training2 business activity.
CDU conducted a semester-long trial to explore the use and uptake of an e-portfolio
tool in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) environment. This trial
involved 88 learners from CDU’s School of Creative Arts and Humanities, and
support from seven dedicated staff from Information Technology Management and
Support (ITMS), Teaching Learning and Development, and lecturing staff.
The trial explored the hard support technical requirements and implications for eportfolio systems, as well as the softer educational and pedagogical support needs of
students and staff in order to effectively utilise the new system. Because of the
emergence and impact of web 2.0 technologies, CDU also explored the integration of
student online spaces and collaborative applications in parallel with Blackboard’s
LMS approach. Through the emerging technology trial and the Mobilizethis 2008
symposium (see Appendix D), CDU aimed to establish and share the following
findings with the broader national training sector:
1.
The emerging technology trial results.
2.
The implications of the trial for the management of e-portfolio systems, policy and
best practice.
3.
The required features of a vocational education and training (VET)
e-portfolio system.
4.
Ways to connect, develop and foster discussion about e-portfolios through the
Mobilizethis community of practice.
5.
A matrix of assessment rubrics reflecting three key benchmarks in the
e-portfolio continuum: development; reflection; and representation.
Findings and recommendations
Hard support – technical
1. Quotas/storage
The default personal storage space provided by the Blackboard system to each
student was 2MB, and needed to be upgraded to an agreed 500MB to enable the
trial. Beyond the trial, this has significant implications for server storage and
bandwidth if this quota is granted for the entire university cohort of learners and staff.
Any institution considering e-portfolio implementation should consult their IT staff
regarding storage provision,
1
http://flexiblelearning.net.au
2
The E-standards for Training website brings together the recommended standards for VET
e-learning content, repositories and associated functions:
http://flexiblelearning.net.au/e-standards
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2. File formats; sizing; repurposing assets
Applications (including convertors, compressors and codecs) need to be provided, to
allow students to resize, re-format and repurpose assets to a content management
system within reasonable storage quotas. Free tools such as Audacity/Lame Encoder
and MPEG Stream Clip may need to be standard offerings on a default image at
institutions wanting to deploy e-portfolios. Again, IT administrators will need to be
involved (with plenty of lead time) to install and test a default image for learner and
staff computers.
3. Mobile devices and implications
A national e-portfolio system or standards may involve a means for learners to
access, share and upload to their e-portfolio via their mobile devices.
Soft support – learner and staff needs
4. Training – learners and staff
Both learners and staff will require training in the use of the e-portfolio system. CDU
found in-class tutorials to be the most cost effective way to provide training, as the
tutorial format created access to a captive audience. CDU ensured that these
tutorials were held within the first two weeks of classes, to avoid the perception that
e-portfolios were just an add-on and not important to the delivery of the unit.
CDU recommend initially focusing on assisting learners and staff to set up a basic
e-portfolio, then allowing time throughout the semester for learners to acquaint
themselves with the content management system and gather assets to upload. It was
also important to assign an assessment value, eg 10-15% of the unit, to the use of
the e-portfolio.
A valuable lesson confirmed through the CDU trial was the need to be careful about
assumptions about levels of digital interest/literacy among youth. Some viewpoints
propose that contemporary youth are born digitally native and both understand and
know about all of the applications and technologies in use. This trial demonstrated
that this perception is false.
5. Implications for digital literacy
The CDU trial highlighted the need for a digital literacy curriculum and a nationally
standardised checklist to support effective use of e-portfolios.
The checklist would need to describe/explain:

what an e-portfolio is

self management and self determined learning

how to navigate an e-portfolio interface

how to use a content management system

file formats, sizing, and repurposing assets

e-portfolio ‘availability’ vs. ‘sharing’ by invitation

how to develop e-portfolios for different purposes, including group
collaboration.
6. Integration with web 2.0 and site blocking
The CDU trial found that learners were attracted to the seamless integration of online
spaces enabled by the Blackboard system. Blackboard allows the use of external
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URLs which load neatly within the e-portfolio and/or present a learner’s online space
in a new browser window.
CDU ran into challenges with application blocking, in relation to the online video
collaboration tool, Kaltura. CDU found that learners were blocked from uploading
content to Kaltura. CDU resolved this problem with the assistance of the Northern
Territory’s Department of Education and Training.
7. Exporting to HTML
In a pre-implementation survey, CDU asked learners how important it would be to be
able to take their e-portfolio with them when they leave CDU. Sixty-seven percent
agreed or strongly agreed that this was important; 23% were uncertain since they
had not yet used an e-portfolio.
This result verified the importance of interoperability of e-portfolios and national
standards for sharing information between different e-portfolio systems. CDU
concluded that a possible solution would be to export the e-portfolio as HTML
(supported by Blackboard). However, CDU noted that some functionality can be lost
in the HTML export. More research and testing is required to establish a national
system of interoperability for e-portfolios.
Research findings
This trial resulted in several findings which may be of interest to organisations
considering the uptake of a LMS e-portfolio solution.
Following the trial, the implementation team met to discuss their experiences and
propose items to be considered in using and deploying the existing Blackboard
system.
Key findings included:
Student persistence:
In one unit, 50% of the learners did not submit an e-portfolio. (Assessment of
e-portfolios was worth only 10% in that unit.)
Higher degrees of success were attained where the e-portfolio was integrated with
another assignment and carried a value of 20%. In this scenario, student persistence
and engagement were enhanced, and observations of peer mentoring were made by
the instructor.
Uptake is clearly linked to perceived value of the exercise.
Wizard reliability:
Blackboard’s e-portfolio wizard (shown in Appendix G) was described as ‘intermittent’
or ’clunky‘ by approximately 50% of learners in the trial group. MS Word documents,
in all their incarnations and versions, did not transfer very accurately, and learners
required tuition in the use of RTF file types and in the creation of PDF versions of
documents.
Longevity:
Learners were unclear about how to access their e-portfolio after the semester was
over and a unit became ‘unavailable’ in the LMS. Clarification is being sought from
CDU Systems Support to ascertain how to access the content manager tool and
learner e-portfolios after the unit of study is completed.
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A second area requiring clarification is how learners can access the e-portfolio tools if
they are not enrolled in unit that is managed through Learnline (CDU’s Blackboard
system).
Student uptake:
It was important for CDU to gauge whether learner and staff uptake of e-portfolios
was enhanced through participating in the trial.
Pre and post surveys results indicated that following the trial, a high level of
agreement/strong agreement was expressed in response to the statement: “Being
able to manage and store evidence of my learning is important to me”.
There was also a high level of agreement/strong agreement expressed in response
to the statement: “I want to be able to control who can see various e-portfolios that I
develop”.
While these first two indicators show a positive adoption for e-portfolios, interestingly,
less than half of the respondents agreed with the following statement: “Overall I think
the CDU e-portfolio system was useful in enhancing my e-learning experience”.
The CDU team believes that these seemingly contradictory findings may be
explained by the fact that half of the students found the system difficult to work with,
as indicated in some of the more qualitative comments provided.
Qualitative comments from trial participants (learners)
“The e-portfolio system is good for student to be able to keep a record of what they
have achieved during their studies. It also comes in handy when it is time to apply for
jobs; the student can then give potential employers access to their e-portfolios.”
“It took a few attempts to get the hang of using the e-portfolio, but once I had done this,
the e-portfolio was easy to use. However, there were a couple of areas that, to me,
could have been a bit more streamlined. Instead of having two separate application
areas for adding file content and URL content, this could be placed on one
application/page, so files can be uploaded from one area. Wizard helped, though it was
a bit confusing to understand why you had 'Welcome Portfolio' and another
'Introduction' - it made sense after a while but I think this would have appeared
confusing to many. Overall a good tool, and if used properly to store data for such
purposes as uni, work, and personal, it would be a great storage arena. My only
concern would be the capacity/limits to how much can be stored and in what formats.”
“An e-portfolio is a very useful tool for CDU students, but most students don’t know
about that. As a result, it leads to a limited communication to share the information and
knowledge.”
“The handout that we were given after the initial e-portfolio tutorial was not very useful.
After following the instructions I could not “get it to work" at all. It was very frustrating,
and only after discussing the problem with other students who were also experiencing
the same problems, and much trial and error, did I eventually get the e-portfolio to
work.”
“I found the e-portfolio quite difficult to use. I had to get extra help from a family
member as I could not get help through uni staff members. It was not readily apparent
how to load content or get links to work. I would not choose to use this for my own
study, only if required to for a unit. Many of my peers found it difficult to use as well, so
getting help from them was out of the question.”
“After creating an e-portfolio for two separate units, I have found that it does not offer
anything that other more convenient forms of technology don't. I would define its main
uses to be a storage space and a way to present a body of work that shows your
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personal style; however devices such as portable hard drives and CD-ROMS hold a lot
more data and do not require an internet connection. In my experience I have found
social networking sites and blogs easier to set up, and they also give more artistic
freedom. I found the particular e-portfolio that CDU uses to be very basic, and I had
difficulty uploading images and graphics which left my portfolio looking very amateur
and boring; not something that I would want a future employer to base my skills on. I
also believe that as there were so many issues with students creating e-portfolios, that
there would be similar issues with the receiver knowing how to view them. I believe that
in my particular field (design), it would be more beneficial to submit a CD-ROM
containing my portfolio, rather than run the risk of the employer not being able to view
it. With that said, I do think that the e-portfolio has potential if it is reworked to offer
more freedom.”
“The e-portfolio is a good idea. I would like to show friends and potential employers my
work but the system needs to be more user friendly. If it is explained to you then it is a
little easier, and when problems happen you don’t know how to fix them like uploaded
material not working for whatever reason. But, it is a good idea, just a bit of
improvements and getting rid of the glitches and I would be glad to use the e-portfolio.”
“I really didn't feel that I needed to use an e-portfolio for myself. It just seemed more
like a way for lecturers to keep updated or refer to my work. I ensured that certain class
mates could see and comment on my work to an extent, but I found that no-one really
bothered. I completed setting up an e-portfolio and adding my works, as part of the
requirements for some units, and since I always try to do my best in things I may not
even want to do. Personally, after being shown e-portfolios, I think it may be good to
show employers, depending what field you are in and what you intend to achieve with
it. I myself would prefer to keep my good collected works on a CD and just ensure they
are in organised files. As the e-portfolio design options are mainly just for 'buttons',
storing my work on a CD won't be disadvantaged much. CDs are also more portable,
and getting an employer or other person to have to access the internet and find my
portfolio could seem a bit of a hassle.”
“I was quite comfortable with e-portfolios and did well in the assessment. However, I
noticed that many students had difficulty, and that the lecturer had no experience with
e-portfolios to render assistance. I suggest that a short in-class demonstration by the
e-portfolio lecturer on the same day that the primary lecturer outlines the assignment
would give students a rough idea of the technology involved. Then have a full class
closer to when the assessment piece is due. This way students already have their
content prepared and can spend their time developing the e-portfolio. In BCC202, we
had the scheduled training in approximately weeks two and three, but the assignment
(number two for the unit) was due in week nine. Students are less likely to spend time
during that seven week gap practicing or exploring a program when they have more
immediate assessments due. This aside, the training session was quite illuminating and
the e-portfolio manual on Learnline allowed me to successfully complete the piece and
help other students complete theirs. The uploading of material to the e-portfolio
folder/Blackboard content system (step two when adding or modifying content) is
relatively user-unfriendly and caused much confusion (I compare this to the relative
simplicity of adding an attachment to an email, but admit my lack of knowledge of what
is required in uploading information). I had difficulty when attempting to modify content
– the inability to delete files from the portfolio folder/Blackboard content system led to
confusion when I wanted to upload updated content with the same name (as it wouldn't
accept something with the same name).”
“Maybe some example ones. More customisation. Online tutorial? I didn't really know
what was expected (wasn't clear how to use it or what content to put in).”
“I found e-portfolios useful as a means of communication when I was away in Alice
Springs, but also found them quite limited. They were also quite temperamental so
while I could see the benefit of using them I didn't have great confidence in them
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always functioning as they should, so I would not rely on them for anything too
important.”
“Although not really a major concern in terms of storing the information. I was quite
unimpressed with the lack of personalisation available in terms of the design and layout
of the portfolios.”
“Content collection was time-consuming to navigate through. I know other students
didn't understand the difference between the 'My Content' and 'Portfolio' sections, and
whether both of these sections could be accessed by lecturers/tutors. It was difficult to
change access privileges once a folder had been created. This service is useful,
especially as a backup storage for students work, but needs to be simpler to use.”
Conclusion
It is clear from the qualitative comments that most learners who participated in the
trial thought that e-portfolios were a very useful tool ’in theory‘, but that the system
itself had much room for improvement. This finding was affirmed by all instructors
involved in the trial who used and would continue to use e-portfolios in their unit
deliveries, both within VET units and higher education delivery. Dissemination of this
information and broader discussion within CDU in terms of the implications of the trial
will occur in 2009.
Bibliography
Australian e-portfolio Project – Final Project Report. Retrieved 1 October, 2008, from
http://www.eportfoliopractice.qut.edu.au/information/report/index.jsp
Australian Flexible Learning Framework (2008). E-portfolios: Managing learner
information. Retrieved 1 November, 2008, from
http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/webdav/site/flxsite/shared/EPortfolios/EPORTFOLIOS_FINAL_040708.pdf
Barrett, H. (2008). Frequently-asked questions about electronic portfolios. Retrieved
October 2, 2008, from http://electronicportfolios.org/faq.html
FuturEd Inc. (2004). Consumer guide to e-portfolios tools and services.
Gibson, D., & Barrett, H. (2003). Directions in electronic portfolio development.
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 2(4). Retrieved 2
September, 2008, from http://www.citejournal.org/vol2/iss4/general/article3.cfm
Greenberg, G. (July/August, 2004). Extending the portfolio model. Educause review.
Luca, J., Polinelli, D., & Howell, J. (2003). Creating e-portfolios to support student
career opportunities. Apple University Consortium Conference.
Mason, R., Pegler, C., & Weller, M. (2004). E-portfolios: An assessment tool for
online courses. British Journal of Educational technology, 35 (6), 717-727.
Siemens, G. (2004). E-portfolios. Elearnspace: everything elearning. Retrieved 11
October, 2008, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/eportfolios.htm
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Appendix A: Literature review
Common to most definitions of e-portfolios is that e-portfolios have a similar initial
purpose to paper-based portfolios – that is, to document evidence. The electronic
version not only offers the opportunity to store a greater range of artefacts (for
example, audio and video) but also provides the ability to reflect on development,
and then to easily share a selection of this information with others through a linked
journal.
There are generally considered to be four categories of e-portfolios:

learner e-portfolios (For or of assessment)

teaching e-portfolios (for promotion/awards/funds applications)

institutional e-portfolios (ie with value to the institution)

lifelong e-portfolios (ie for personal development).
E-portfolios do not necessarily need to be owned by an individual – in some cases an
e-portfolio may be owned and developed by a group of people.
With student e-portfolios, a critical categorisation is whether it is a portfolio FOR or
OF assessment. E-portfolios OF assessment are typically used as a CV/evidence
creation device when applying for jobs.
This is shown in the figure below.
Source: Siemens, G. (2004). ePortfolios. Elearnspace: everything elearning.
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/eportfolios.htm
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Appendix B: Charles Darwin University needs
Portfolio
type
Learner FOR
assessment
Issues
Required?
Making e-portfolios a part of assessment would ensure that the eportfolio is developed; but at the end of the unit or course is the eportfolio then dropped and of no further use?
Yes
If the e-portfolio is linked into Blackboard, how is it carried forward
throughout a course?
Depends
No
What weight should be given to the reflective process?
What professional development do staff need to assess the
reflective process?
Learner – OF
assessment
Will learners see the benefits of creating and maintaining a personal
e-portfolio? And act on it?
Who would train learners to use e-portfolios?
Yes
No
Depends
Will potential employers accept online/digital CVs as application
evidence?
Will the e-portfolio allow for mapping against graduate attributes,
course and/or unit learning outcomes, professional standards?
Can any or all of these criteria be automatically entered into a
templated learner’s e-portfolio?
Does ’of assessment’ e-portfolio use provide a strong enough focus
on personal development?
Teaching
Institutional
Staff could develop an e-portfolio during their teaching career to aid
promotion and award application processes.
Yes
No
E-portfolios could be introduced to new staff at induction, but how
do existing staff back-gather past evidence?
Depends
Will the fact that an institution holds a learner’s e-portfolio attract the
learner back if they consider further study?
Yes
How much storage space will be required?
No
Depends
How long will storage space be required for?
Lifelong
There are no current standards for e-portfolios, so how can
learners/staff use them outside the university environment without
deconstructing them?
Yes
No
Depends
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Appendix C: Relevant links
Australian e-portfolio project:
http://www.eportfoliopractice.qut.edu.au/
Australian Flexible Learning Framework – E-portfolios:
http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/go/home/pid/494/
Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources (CEDIR):
http://www.uow.edu.au/cedir/
Centre for Integrative Learning:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/integrativelearning
The Centre for International ePortfolio Development:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/eportfolio
Centre for Recording Achievement:
http://www.recordingachievement.org
Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE):
http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/people/staff_pages/James/James.html
Peer Review of Teaching Project:
http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/research/prot.html
Queensland University of Technology:
http://www.studentportfolio.qut.edu.au
The University of Melbourne:
http://www.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/tss/enhance/portfolios.html
The University of New England:
http://www.une.edu.au/eportfolio/index.jsp
University of Wollongong:
http://staff.uow.edu.au/eteaching/ePortfolio/index.htm
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Appendix D: Mobilizethis 2008
Community of practice and e-portfolio discussion
The Mobilizethis 2008 Symposium was facilitated through Charles Darwin University
on 22-24 October 2008. The purpose of the symposium was to disseminate the
results of the e-portfolio trial, and provide an opportunity for stakeholders to get
connected, explore, and resolve challenges facing organisations considering
adopting e-portfolios. The symposium also sought to provide practical means for
organisations to develop relationships with clients and creatively engage in real
online learning experiences.
The symposium featured a range of presentations, but a constant theme throughout
was the relationship between the particular topic and e-portfolios.
Attendance was face-to-face and also by virtual participation. The virtual participation
was mostly through the CDU-supported Horizon Wimba web conferencing software,
but a number of other technologies were also used (for example: Skype; Second Life;
and Adobe Connect). Most virtual participants were from within Australia, but there
were some international presenters and participants. The table below summarises
the attendance across the three days.
Participants by date and attendance type
Date
In
person
Wimba 1
Wimba 2
Wimba 3
Wimba 4
Other
Total
22/10/08
-
-
-
-
-
*
23/10/08
22
40
26
30
15
*
133
24/10/08
11
34
13
-
-
*
58
Total
33
74
39
30
15
*
191
* A number of presentations were conducted through other platforms, for example, Second
Life, Skype, Adobe Connect and HelloWorld, but no record is available of the number of
participants in those sessions.
See http://mobilizethis.wikispaces.com/ for a complete description of the symposium
and the agenda. Archives of the various presentations are also available as links
from the agenda page.
Two presentations particularly focused on e-portfolios, specifically:
1. E-portfolios, Web 2.0 and Collaborative Online Video - Bill Wade and Allison
Miller
2. Round Table Discussions: Challenges and Solutions - Various
An archived recording of Bill Wade and Allison Miller’s presentation is available at
http://192.160.71.199/launcher.cgi?room=MobilizeThis2008_2008_1024_1106_46
During this session, a number of polling questions were discussed and responses
from the virtual participants were recorded. These questions and the responses are
in Appendix E. The recorded archive also provides responses from the in-person
participants.
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E-portfolios also became a major issue for discussion during the round table
discussions. An archive of the discussion can be found at:
http://192.160.71.199/launcher.cgi?room=MobilizeThis2008_2008_1024_1500_43
(Please note, the audio quality for this recording is poor).
During this session a number of polling questions were discussed and the responses
from the virtual participants were recorded. These questions and the responses are
in Appendix F. The recorded archive also provides responses from the in-person
participants.
Mobilizethis linked up with the staff running the E-nabling NT Roadshow which
finished in Darwin on 24 October. For more information about this event, visit:
http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/go/home/States_and_Territories/NT/pid/544?ma
trix=1217212325215
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Appendix E: Polling attitudes towards
e-portfolios (e-portfolio session)
Following are the responses from virtual participants to online polling questions
during Bill Wade and Allison Miller’s Mobilizethis presentation on e-portfolios. (Note:
responses from the audience were not collated but the essence of them can be
gleaned the archived discussion.)
How would you succinctly describe an e-portfolio (20 words or less)?
Response 1: Manage learning/new knowledge, skills and abilities using digital
objects/environments controlled by a personal online space to help with transitioning,
applications, recognition, personal/professional/career development
Response 2: content and reflection
Response 3: Accreditation Online
Response 4: an online collection of artefacts that define and display the learning and
experiences of an individual that can be shared publicly or privately
Response 5: Like a CV or resume; A work, study or business related space where
you can update your work for public view.
Response 6: a place to store (electronically) the artefacts you assemble in
connection with your educational and professional life.
Who should be involved in designing/developing e-portfolios?
Management - 6 responses
Teaching staff - 9 responses
Students/clients - 9 responses
ICT Support persons - 6 responses
Industry - 6 responses
Other - 4 responses
E-portfolios have become a huge topic, there are several things we could
discuss ... please select the topics below to help guide our discussion. We will
place more time on the topics that interest you the most.
What's an e-portfolio? - 1 response
E-portfolio trial at CDU - 5 responses
Show me CDU's e-portfolio tool (Blackboard) - 4 responses
How can e-portfolios blend with other web 2.0 tools like collaborative video
(Kaltura.com)? - 2 responses
What are the potential benefits of e-portfolios? - 3 responses
What's happening nationally around e-portfolio standards? - 2 responses
What should be the essential features of an e-portfolio? - 1 response
Are there risks or is there a downside to the e-portfolio craze? - 4 responses
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Are you currently or are you planning on using an e-portfolio in the next 12
months?
Yes, currently have one - 2 responses
No, haven't tried it yet - 1 response
Yes, I plan to in the next 12 months - 1 response
No, don't have any plans to use or create one - 0 responses
Maybe I'll use one - uncertain - 2 responses
Any final thoughts out there about e-portfolios that you'd like to share?
Response 1: alexanderhayes - all one word - lower case - find me in Google :)
Response 2: just get a blog
Response 3: I would recommend that all VET teachers become familiar with and
conversant with the pedagogy around e-portfolios and that the Framework provide
more professional development e-opportunities for this in 2009.
Response 4: EPs will be clarified more and standards will be made with flexible
individual applications
Response 5: Thanks to all presenters issues such as authenticity and validity have
emerged for me.
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Appendix F: Polling attitudes towards
e-portfolios (Roundtable session)
Following are the responses for virtual participants to online polling question during
the round table discussion. (Note: responses from the audience were not collated but
the essence of them can be gleaned the archived discussion.)
We are currently in groups considering the following questions in relation to either:
Two-way synchronous audio/video,
Point of View (POV), or e-portfolios?
Is this technology exciting or just a re-hash of an old teaching method?
What are the challenges for institutions and the teachers/lecturers?
Do teachers and students have the skills (and knowledge) to use the technologies?
What professional development is needed?
Whose technology is it? Who has ownership? Who has control?
Are the stakeholders in this sector interested in the skills associated with this
technology? How?
Are the challenges in the Creative Arts and Industries sector the same or different
from other subject areas?
Response 1: challenges for teachers and learners teachers - dealing with messy tech
that may get stuffed up through incorrect use by novice users learners - not being
afraid to have a go even if it means messing stuff up both - being patient to get
through the messy stages; mentoring new users.
Response 2: Creative arts needs do differ - bandwidth hungry, more demanding of
hardware. Varied modes of research (practice based, studio research, creative
practice as research, practice led, etc) further add to complexity.
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Appendix G: CDU’s e-portfolio learner guide
An e-portfolio is:
An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio or digital portfolio, is a collection
of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the web (also
called Webfolio). Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files
such as text files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are
both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if
they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some e-portfolio
applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might
be used for multiple purposes.
(source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_portfolio viewed 25 July 2008).
Where’s your stuff?
From a student’s point of view an e-portfolio can be seen as a content management
system or in other words a place to keep all of your stuff. This can be stuff you are
working on; stuff you want to think about; stuff to come back and improve upon; stuff
to show to others; and stuff to represent you to potential employers. The key point is
that you ’self-manage and self-direct‘ your own content and learning and you can
take your stuff away with you when you finish your studies with CDU?
E-portfolios are used for a variety of purposes but can roughly be categorised in
three ways:
1. Developmental (working on)
2. Reflective (thinking about your progress and/or getting feedback on work)
3. Representational (showing what you can do)
Eventually your e-portfolio will contain edited and polished works that you are ready
to use to represent your generic or ’employability‘ skills. These are important skills
that are transferable to nearly any job situation.
E-portfolios and graduate attributes
Employability skills and graduate attributes. Universities, including CDU, organise
your course of study according to desirable ’graduate attributes’. These attributes
help to tell potential employers the type of student they can expect to graduate from
CDU. CDU broadly identifies these graduate attributes within the following headings:
Personal practical knowledge:

acquisition

application

creativity

knowledge base.
Citizenship:

communication

teamwork

social responsibility.
World view:

flexibility
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
leadership.
Your specific course of study then takes these ’broad‘ graduate attributes and maps
them specifically to a course of study, for example the Bachelor of Creative Arts
Industries-New Media defines ’teamwork‘ as follows:
“Graduates will have a capacity for and understanding of collaboration, team-work,
respect for diversity and multi-disciplinary interdependence in order to effectively work
as a team member within the new media industry.”
How to make this all work for you
It may be useful then as a student to eventually think of collecting evidence for each
of the graduate attributes associated and mapped to your degree program and/or
course of study. Each graduate attribute could literally become a page or heading for
your e-portfolio.
Your task then is to strategically think about selecting bits of your work that can
demonstrate each of these attributes. Over the duration of your course, each unit will
help you to further gain these skills and demonstrate the stated attributes.
Assessing your e-portfolio in a unit of study
Many of you will be developing an e-portfolio for the first time. We have clearly
outlined in your unit information, how e-portfolios contribute to your assessment in
each unit. For example, in BCC202 Communication, Technology and Culture
e-portfolios are integrated into Assignment 2 – film Critique as follows:
“Assessment Criteria:
Creation of e-Portfolio and posting of group report and personal reflection within the
e-Portfolio
/5 (5 marks out of 20)
You will achieve a higher rating for an attractive looking personalized e-Portfolio
(customized header), which accurately links to your group report and demonstrates
thoughtful reflection on your role as a team player in collaborative exercises.
Spelling/grammar must be correct.”
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Basic Portfolio Wizard
Overview
The Basic Portfolio Wizard is the quickest and easiest method for creating a new Basic Portfolio. The wizard is completed in eight steps that do everything from
naming the Basic Portfolio and defining the colour scheme to adding content items and URLs to the Basic Portfolio. The contents and settings for a Basic
Portfolio may be modified after the Wizard is completed.
Start the wizard
Click Basic Portfolio Creation under Basic Portfolios on the Content Collection menu to open the Basic Portfolio Wizard. Or follow these steps:
1. Under the heading Portfolios, click My Portfolios.
2. Click Basic Portfolio Creation Wizard from the Action Bar.
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Wizard fields
The table below outlines the options available when creating a Basic Portfolio through the Basic Portfolio wizard.
Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Wizard Start
The first page of the wizard displays information on
creating a Basic Portfolio including how to navigate
the wizard. A navigation bar appears at the bottom of
each wizard page with the following buttons:
Cancel: Click to erase and end the Basic Portfolio,
this will erase all information entered into the Basic
Portfolio Wizard.
Back: Click to navigate to the previous page. This
button does not appear on the first page of the wizard.
Next: Click to navigate to the next page. This button
does not appear on the last page of the wizard.
Finish: Click this button to complete the wizard and
create the Basic Portfolio. This button replaces the
Next button on the last page.
If the Basic Portfolio Wizard window is closed without
first selecting Cancel, a partial Basic Portfolio will be
created. The User may remove this partial Basic
Portfolio.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Step 1: Basic Portfolio Information
Title
Enter a title for the Basic Portfolio. This name will identify the Basic Portfolio in the My Basic
Portfolio folder.
Description
Enter a description for the Basic Portfolio.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Step 2: Basic Portfolio Design
Menu Style
Select how to display the items in the Basic Portfolio menu by clicking the Buttons option or the
Text option. The other options on this page will differ depending on the option selected in this field.
Buttons
Button Type
Select a button type by clicking on the drop-down arrow and highlighting a button type. The button
type is simply the pattern that appears in the button background.
Button Shape
Click a button shape option.
Button Style
Select a button style by clicking on the drop-down arrow and highlighting a button style. The button
style is made up of colours and shapes. Click Gallery of Buttons to preview button styles.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Text
Menu Background colour
Click Pick and select a colour from the palette. The colour chosen appears as the background
colour for the Basic Portfolio menu.
Menu Text Colour
Click Pick and select a colour from the palette. The colour chosen appears as the text colour for
objects in the Basic Portfolio menu.
Step 3: Basic Portfolio Welcome Page (Optional)
Title
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Enter a title for the welcome message. The welcome message is the first page that appears when
others view the Basic Portfolio.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Welcome Message
Enter a message to display to those who view your Basic Portfolio. This message appears on the
first page of the Basic Portfolio.
The welcome message appears in the contents of the Basic Portfolio and can be modified just like
any other Web page added to the Basic Portfolio.
Step 4: Add Content (Optional)
Menu Link Name
Enter the name of the item. This title appears on the Basic Portfolio Menu item.
File or Folder
Enter the path to the item that will be added or click Browse to search the Content Collection for
an item.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Step 5: Add Links (Optional)
Menu Link Name
Enter the name of the item. This title appears on the Basic Portfolio Menu item.
URL
Enter a link to external web pages.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Step 6: Add Items (Optional)
Menu Link Name
Enter the name of the item. This title appears on the Basic Portfolio Menu item.
Item Type
Select Blank Item or select a Template from the list of Templates. Item content may be added to a
Blank item after the Wizard is completed.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Step 7: Basic Portfolio Availability
Available?
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Determine if the Basic Portfolio will be available to other users.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Step 8: Basic Portfolio Comments
Shared?
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Basic Portfolio contents
Overview
Contents for a Basic Portfolio are controlled through the Modify Content page. All of the objects that appear in the Basic Portfolio are arranged, in order of
appearance, in a table.
Above the table is an Action Bar with buttons for adding and removing Content, External Links, and Items.
Find this page
Follow these steps to find the Basic Portfolio: Basic Portfolio Name page.
1. Click My Portfolios under Basic Portfolios on the Content Collection menu.
2. Click Modify for a Basic Portfolio.
3. Click Modify Content.
Add Content
Content Items from the Content Collection are added to a Basic Portfolio through the Add Content page. Note that the file or folder can be given a new Name
within the Basic Portfolio. For example, if a file name in the Content Collection is ’fred_and_sallys_project‘, it can be given the menu name of ’The Civil War’.
When a Content Collection item is linked to in a Basic Portfolio, the item is shared with the Basic Portfolio User List. A line item for this user list appears on the
Manage Permissions page for the item. If Read permission for Basic Portfolio User List is removed from the Permissions page, Basic Portfolio viewers will not
have access to the item.
Follow these steps to add content.
1. Click My Portfolios under Basic Portfolios on the Content Collection menu.
2. Click the Contents link for a Basic Portfolio.
3. Click Add Content in the Action Bar.
4. Complete the Add Content page according to the table overleaf.
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Menu Item Name
Menu Item Name
Enter a title for the item. This name appears in the Basic Portfolio as the name of the item.
Choose Content Collection Item or Folder
File or folder
Enter the path to the item that will be added or click Browse to search the Content Collection for an item.
Menu Item Availability
Select Yes or No to determine whether or not the item is available when other users view the Basic
Portfolio.
Available
Add Link
Links to external websites can be added to a Basic Portfolio from the Add Link page.
Follow these steps to add a link:
1. Click My Portfolios under Basic Portfolios on the Content Collection menu.
2. Click the Contents link for a Basic Portfolio.
3. Click Add Link in the Action Bar.
4. Complete the Add Link page according to the table below.
Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
Menu Item Name
Menu Item Name
Enter a name for the link. The text entered here appears in the Basic Portfolio menu as a hyperlink. Clicking on the hyperlink in
the Basic Portfolio will open the URL entered in the URL field.
Add External Link
URL
Enter a URL for the link. Be sure to enter the URL completely, for example, http://www.blackboard.com, not
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Fie ld
De s cr ipt ion
www.blackboard.com, or blackboard.com.
Menu Item Availability
Available
Select Yes or No to set the availability of the link.
Add Item
Basic Portfolio items are web pages created in the Text Box Editor by the user and added to a Basic Portfolio. There may be templates available for creating
pages. Pages may also be created without a template using the Text Box Editor.
Follow these steps to add an item:
1. Click My Portfolios under Basic Portfolios on the Content Collection menu.
2. Click the Contents link for a Basic Portfolio.
3. Click Add Item in the Action Bar.
Select a Blank Item or a template from the drop-down list to create a Web page. Templates are created by the System Administrator; if none are created or
made available, this option will not appear.
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Manage Basic Portfolio
Overview
Users can manage the sharing, downloading, and comments for a Basic Portfolio from the Manage Basic Portfolio: Basic Portfolio Name page. They may also
access the Properties page to modify the name, style or availability of the Basic Portfolio.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the menu page with options for managing a Basic Portfolio.
1. Click My Portfolios under Basic Portfolios on the Content Collection menu.
2. Select Modify next to one of the Basic Portfolios.
Comments
The Basic Portfolio Comments page includes columns displaying the date posted, the person who posted the comment, and the comment itself. Comments can
be sorted by clicking the carat at the top of each column. For example, to sort comments by date, click the carat at the top of the Date Posted column.
Follow these steps to open the Comments page.
1. Click My Portfolios under Basic Portfolios on the Content Collection menu.
2. Select Modify next to one of the Basic Portfolios.
3. Click Manage Comments.
Comments are viewed, added, and removed from this page. Only the comment author or the owner of the Basic Portfolio may remove a comment.
Link checker
The Basic Portfolio Link Checker allows users to check the links to Content Collection items that have been added to a Basic Portfolio. For example, if an item
in the Content Collection is removed after the user has created a link to the item in a Basic Portfolio, the Basic Portfolio Link Checker will detect this and make
the user aware of the broken link.
Periodically checking links in a Basic Portfolio is good management practice. Links to Content Collection items from a Basic Portfolio may appear broken if
identifying properties or permissions to the item are altered. The Check Links tool on the Manage page provides information on all links, and alerts the owner of
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any broken links. If a Basic Portfolio begins to show broken links, or users have trouble viewing a page in a Basic Portfolio, Check Links will identify the
problem. Depending on the situation, some broken links may be repaired, while others may not.
Follow these steps to open the Basic Portfolio Link Checker page.
1. Click My Portfolios under the Basic Portfolios in the Content Collection menu.
2. Select Modify next to one of the Basic Portfolios.
3. Click Check Links.
When Check Links is selected, the Basic Portfolio Link Checker automatically runs. The results appear on the Basic Portfolio Link Checker page.
Link Checker Results
After the Basic Portfolio Link Checker is run, the results page appears, explaining the status of each link to a Content Collection item. Some broken links may
be fixed by the user, while others may not.
Leg end De s cr ipt ion a nd Re so luti on
Valid Link. These items are linked successfully and do not require any further action.
Repairable permissions error. One or more users on the Basic Portfolio User List do not have Read permission to these Content Collection
items. The user checking the links has Manage permission to the items and can therefore repair these links. Select the check boxes next to these
items and click Repair. The system will grant Read permission to these items to users on the Basic Portfolio User List.
Path not found. The items have been moved, removed or renamed within the Content Collection. The links are broken and the user should
remove them from the Basic Portfolio. If the new locations or names of the items are known, new links may be created.
Permissions error. One or more users on the Basic Portfolio User List do not have Read permission to these Content Collection items. The user
does not have Manage permission to the items and cannot repair these links. Remove these links from the Basic Portfolio or contact a user with
Manage permission to these items to add the appropriate permission. System Administrators have Manage permission on all Content Collection
items; they will never see this icon after running the tool.
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Download a Basic Portfolio
Any Basic Portfolio and its contents may be downloaded as a compressed zip file from the Manage Basic Portfolio page. The zip file contains the HTML pages
and content items that make up the entire Basic Portfolio. This tool is useful for allowing users to archive older Basic Portfolios onto a personal computer, or for
moving a Basic Portfolio to another Basic Portfolio system.
Note: Basic Portfolios must contain content to be downloaded; if a Basic Portfolio is empty the link to download will not appear.
Follow the steps below to download a Basic Portfolio.
1. Click My Portfolios under Basic Portfolios on the Content Collection menu.
2. Select Modify next to one of the Basic Portfolios.
3. Select Download Basic Portfolio.
4. After Download Basic Portfolio is selected on the Manage Basic Portfolio page, the Download Basic Portfolio: Basic Portfolio Name page appears.
Select the Click to download Basic Portfolio link. A window appears with options to open or save the Basic Portfolio.
Select Save, and save the Basic Portfolio to the desired location.
To view the Basic Portfolio, unzip the downloaded file to a local folder then click on ‘index.html’ to open the Basic Portfolio
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Share a Basic Portfolio
Overview
A Basic Portfolio is private until the person who created it decides to share it with other users. The Basic Portfolio can be shared with individual users or all the
users in a Course or an Organization. In addition, the Basic Portfolio can be shared with anyone who has an email address and access to the Internet.
The following list explains scenarios for sharing a Basic Portfolio:
Share a Basic Portfolio with another Blackboard user - the Basic Portfolio is listed in the user’s Received Basic Portfolios for easy access.
Share a Basic Portfolio with an external user - a URL is created for access to the Basic Portfolio. This may be emailed to the user from the Content
Collection.
Share a Basic Portfolio with a Course or Organization - the Basic Portfolio is listed in the Basic Portfolios tool in the Course, and Course or Organisation
users may search for the Basic Portfolio in Basic Portfolio Search.
Share a Basic Portfolio with an (Undefined variable: BbVariables_AS.institution role) - all users with that role may search for the Basic Portfolio in Basic
Portfolio Search.
Share a Basic Portfolio with All System Accounts - any user on the system may search for the Basic Portfolio in Basic Portfolio Search.
Basic Portfolio search
All users with whom a Basic Portfolio is shared have the ability to find it using Basic Portfolio Search. Basic Portfolio Search allows users to search all Basic
Portfolios that they have access to by username (the Basic Portfolio owner), Basic Portfolio title, Basic Portfolio description, and Basic Portfolio Learning
Objectives. These fields are available from the Manage Properties page of every Basic Portfolio. Adding descriptive content to these fields will improve the
results of Basic Portfolio Search.
Note: When a Basic Portfolio is shared with a user, the user must refresh his or her browser before the Basic Portfolio appears in
Received Basic Portfolios. If permissions are removed for the user, the Basic Portfolio will continue to appear in the user’s
Received Basic Portfolios until they refresh the browser.
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Share with a Course or an Organisation
A Basic Portfolio is shared with a Course or an Organisation through the Share with Courses page or the Share with Organisation page.
Note: Course Basic Portfolios may be enabled or disabled by the Instructor through Manage Tools on the Control Panel. If
Course Basic Portfolios are available, students may access them through Tools on the Course Menu.
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Appendix H: CDU e-portfolios presentation
slides
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For more information
For more information on e-standards:
Email: e-standards@flexiblelearning.net.au
Website: flexiblelearning.net.au/e-standards
For more information on the Australian Flexible Learning Framework:
Phone: (07) 3307 4700
Fax: (07) 3259 4371
Email: enquiries@flexiblelearning.net.au
Website: flexiblelearning.net.au
GPO Box 1326, Brisbane QLD 4001
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